DHAKA: The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria for 40 years is reported to have been killed by Islamic State (IS) militants.

Khaled al-Asaad had been held for about a month by the group, which seized the Unesco World Heritage site in May.

The 81-year-old’s family informed Syria’s director of antiquities Maamoun Abdul Karim that he had been beheaded, reports the BBC.

Karim said IS militants had tried to extract information from Assad about where some treasures were hidden.

He described Asaad as ‘one of the most important pioneers in Syrian archaeology in the 20th Century’.

The murder has been denounced as a ‘horrific act’ by Unesco, the UN cultural organization.

‘They killed him because he would not betray his deep commitment to Palmyra,’ Unesco Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement.

BDST: 2112 HRS, AUG 19, 2015
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